Magnetic razor.



B. AMES.

MAGNETIC RAZOR. APPLICATION FILEDVJUNE 6. I917.

Patented Apr. '1; 1919.

UNITED snares Parana enrich.

BUTLER AMES, 0F LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTS.

MAGNETIC RAZOR.

To all who wit may concern:

Be it known that I, BUTLER AMEs, a citizen of the United States of America, and resident of Lowell, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Magnetic Razors, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to cutting devices and more particularly to safety razors of the type disclosed in my prior Patent No. 1,192,367.

Safety razors of the general character of the subject-matter of the present application have usually comprised a guard member and a cap member disposed over the guard member for holding a blade in position between the two members. For detachably holding the parts together while the device is being used, screw means or some other mechanical mechanism has been employed. Such mechanism has involved a substantial increase in cost of manufacture, it has involved considerable inconvenience in use, and it has involved screw threads and the like which have rendered the devices diflicult to clean and therefore more or less unsanitary.

It is the principal object of the present invention to overcome the above difficulties and to produce a device which may be simply and cheaply constructed, which is exceedingly convenient in operation, requiring no manipulation of screws or other mechanism in attaching and detaching the parts to and from each other, and which is wholly sanitary.

Other objects of the invention, such as improving the efliciency of a cuttingblade by subjecting it to the beneficial action of a magnetic field, will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of one embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing parts in section and spaced apart;

Fig.3 is an end elevation of the device;

Fig. his a longitudinal section on line 4-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the device with the blade and cap removed;

Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the device with the blade and cap in place; and

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 11, 19119.

Application filed June 6, 1917. Serial No. 178,110.

Fig. 7 is a top plan view similar to Fig. 5, showing a modification ofthe invention.

The illustrated embodiment of the invention comprises magnet means, which is preferably in the form of a U-magnet 1, a base member 2 which preferably functions as a guard member, and a cap member which is adapted to hold a blade 7 in position on the guard member 2. In the particular embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings, teeth 3 are provided along both sides of the guard member 2 so that a double edge blade may be employed. In order to maintain the blade and cap member accurately in position on the base member, means is preferably provided to prevent lateral movement of the parts when in position, and in the illustrated embodiment this means comprises pins 8 disposed in spaced relationship in the transverse central portion of the base member, the pins being fixedly mounted either in the guard or cap but preferably being fitted tightly into openings in the base member and extending through openings in the blade 7 and into recesses in the cap (3.

The poles 11 and 12 of the U-magnet 1 are disposed in spaced relationship in j nxtaposition to the cap member 6, when the latter is in position, so that the magnetic flux produced by the U-magnet may flow through the cap member and draw the cap member toward the poles, the cap functioning in the nature of an armature. While the particular disposition of the poles of the magnet is largely immaterial so long as they are (lisposed on the proper side of the cap to urge it against the base member, and thereby maintain the blade in position between the two members, I believe the most efficientarrangement of the poles is that shown in the drawings. In this arrangement the poles extend through openings 13 in the base member into juxtaposition to the blade 7 when in position, or to the cap member 6 when the blade is removed. lVith this arrangement the air gaps between the poles and the cap member are reduced to a minimum and the flux is permitted to flow freely from one pole -to anotherlongitudinally through the cap member, and also through the blade 7 when in position.

In the present embodiment of my invention the base or guard member is pro-forably formed of steel, and as this is a magnetic material I preferably provide means for preventing magnetic flux being shunted from the cap member through the base member, inasmuch as the attraction exerted upon the cap member by the magnet is decreased in proportion to the amount of flux shunted from the cap member. For this purpose I provide bushings of non-magnetic material between the poles of the'magnet and the of collars 16, these collars also serving an-- other useful purpose, as will now be described. p

In using the device there is a certain amount of pressure exerted on the edges of the guard member which tends to tip it about the central axis of the poles 11 and 12.,

By forming the collars 16 of considerable thickness, bearing surfaces 17 may be provided at their upper ends upon which the guard member may rest throughout a considerable area. Owing to this considerable area and owing to the fact that it extends well out toward the edges of the guard member, the guard member when positioned thereupon is rigidly held in position. An annular recess 18 is preferably provided around the upper edge of each pole and the collars 16 are then provided with internal flanges 19 adapted to fit into the recesses 18, thereby preventing the collars from being forced downwardly over the poles beyond the positions shown in the figures. Thus, the upper surfaces of the base member 2, the collars 16 and the poles 11 and 12 are made flush, thereby forming a smooth continuous surface for the blade 7. This surface may be either flat as shown in the drawings or transversely curved in the well-known manner,'the cap member being similarly curved when the guard member is curved.

The operation of the device is as follows: The collars 16 are either fitted over the pole pieces 11 and 12 so that they may be removed by hand or they may be tightly fitted over the pole pieces and be permanently left in position. Likewise the guard member 2 may be fitted over the flanges 19 of the collar 16 so as to be removed by hand or so as to be permanently held in position. Preferably, however, the collars 16 are fixedly mounted on the pole pieces and the guard member is fixedly mounted on the collars. To assemble the apparatus, therefore, the blade 17 is first placed in position on the guard member with the pins 8 projecting through openings in the blade adapted to fit snugly over the pins. When using an ordinary steel blade its magnetic quality permits a considerable amount of magnetic flux to flow therethrough from the one pole to the other. When a thin blade is employed only a sulficient amount of flux passes therethrough to. hold it comparatively lightly against the guard member, the force of attraction being suflicient to hold the blade in position but not being sufficient to permit using the device for shaving. However, by making the blade of considerable thickness throughout its central portion, as by making its upper surface convex transversely, sufficient flux can be caused to pass through the blade to hold it tightly in position so that it maybe used for shaving purposes without a cap member. However, 1 preferably employ a comparatively thin blade, together with the cap member 6, for holding the blade in position, and when using such a cap member it is placed in position over the blade as shown in Figs. 1, 3, 4 and 6. When using the cap member, part of the fiux is diverted through the blade, but this flux serves to hold the blade in position as above described. If the steel guard member 2 were sufliciently thin the flux shunted therethrough would be inappreciable, but according to the present invention I preferably employ a guard member of considerable thickness and prevent the shunting of flux therethrough by providing a magnetic gap therein, as for example by means of the non-magnetic bushings above described. In disassembling the apparatus it is only necessary to ull the cap and blade from the guard mem er, this be-' ing easily accomplished by grasping the cap, member at its opposite ends where it projects over the guard member.

By magnetically insulating the guard from the magnet, by means of bushings 16, the guard may be made of steel or other suitable magnetic material. This is important for the reason that steel and the like is ideal for the purpose. It is hard and inflexible and possesses great rigidity even if made relatively thin. The teeth of such a guard will not bend out of alinement unless subjected to a very sharpblow or a relatively heavy force. This material is not appreciably affected by the acids of soaps and perspiration and therefore does not discolor or corrode or otherwise deteriorate rapidly when used in a razor. Steel and the like may be readily plated with nickel or the like and when so plated retains the plate well for the reason that the aforesaid acids, which penetrate the pores of the plate, do not loosen the plate inasmuch as they do not appreciably affect the steel. Moreover, the cost of steel and the like. is low.

The disposition of the positioning pins 8 has particular significance in the illustrated device owing to the fact that it obviates any interference between the pins and the connection between the guard member and magnet and also between the pins and the magnetic flux flowing through the blade and cap member. If the pins were mounted at the ends of the magnet they would render some of the flux ineffective for holding the cap in position, since, if they were of magnetic material the flux flowing radially therefrom to the cap member would exert a relatively small force upon the cap, and if they were of non-magnetic material set into the ends of the magnet they would reduce the effective area of the pole faces, thereby reducing the force of attraction exerted upon the cap member. By disposing the pins at the sides of the guard member they may be made either of magnetic or non-magnetic material and in either event permit an unobstructedfiow of flux from one pole through the blade and cap to the other pole of the magnet.

I have discovered that the magnetic action of a permanent magnet or other magnetic means has a-beneficial effect upon a razor blade and the like andthe blade is therefore preferably kept in operative position while not in use and indeed at all times other than while cleaning, sharpening, or changing a blade. This beneficial efi'ec-t I believe to be due to an altered arrangement of the particles or molecules of which the blade is composed, the molecules probably being arranged in approximate parallelism by the magnetism imparted thereto by the magnet means. However, Whatever the reasons, I have found that a razor blade will sharpen more readily and remain sharp longer when magnetized. lVhile most of the advantages of the present invention may beobtained by passing magnetic flux through the blade, cap or both, either transversely, longitudinally or otherwise, the best results are obtained by passing the flux longitudinally through the cap and blade, this being accomplished in the illustrated embodiment of the invention by virtue of the. disposition of the spaced poles at the opposite ends of the cap and blade.

From the preceding description it Will be apparent that certain of the novel advantages flowing from the use of the collars 16 between the magnet poles and the guard are afforded whether the collars are made of magnetic or non-magnetic material. For example, the broad firm support for the guard, and the ease of assembling or disassembling the parts afforded by-the collars are independent of the materials employed in the parts. For example, the guard might be made sufficiently thin not to shunt much magnetic flux therethrough, as hereinbefore explained, in which case the collars might be made of magnetic material and yet certain of the objects of the present invention would be attained.

. Certain modified embodiments of the present invention are disclosed and claimed in my copending applications, Sr. No. 173,841, filed June 9, 1917, and Sr. No. 173,923, filed J nne 11, 1917, and I hereby make reference to these applications as showing variations in the manner of applying the invention, some of which are common to the embodiment disclosed in the present application.

I claim:

1. In a device of the character described, the combination of a supporting member adapted to support a cutting blade along one side thereof, the supporting member being composed of magnetic material, means for passing a magnetic flux through the cutting blade to hold it against the supporting member, and means for obstructing the shunting of flux from the blade through the supporting member.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination of a base member and a cap member adapted to hold a cutting blade therebetween, the said members being composed of magnetic material, means disposed on the side of the base member opposite to the cap member for directing magnetic flux through the cap member to hold it against the base member, and means for obstructing the shunting of flux from the cap member 95 through the supporting member.

3. In a device of the character described, the combination of a supporting member adapted to support a cutting blade along one side thereof, the supporting member 100 being composed of magnetic material, magnet means having poles of magnetic material extending into juxtaposition to the cutting blade at opposite sides thereof so as to direct magnetic flux through the blade to hold it against the supporting member, and means for magnetically insulating the pole pieces from the supporting member.

4. In a device of the character described, the combination of a base member and a cap member adapted to hold a cutting blade therebetween, the said members being composed of magnetic material, magnet means having poles of magnetic material extending into juxtaposition to the cap member at opposite sides thereof so as to direct magnetic flux through the cap member to urge it toward the base member, and means for magnetically insulating the pole pieces from the base member.

In a device of the character described, the combination of a supporting member adapted to support a cutting blade along one side thereof, the supporting member having spaced openings therethrough, magnet means having pole pieces extending through said openings into juxtaposition to the blade, and bushings disposed in the openings between the pole pieces and the supporting member.

6. In a device of the character described, the combination of a supporting member adapted to support a cutting blade along one side thereof, the supporting member having spaced openings therethrough, magnet means having pole pieces extending through said openings into juxtaposition to the blade, andnon-ma'gnetic bushings dis- .posed in the openings between the pole pieces and the supporting member.

7 In a device of the character described, the combination of a guard member adapted to support a cutting blade along one side thereof, the guard member having spaced openings therethrough, a U-magnet having its poles extending through the said openings, and collars fitting around the poles of the magnet, the collars being arranged to support the guard member thereon.

8. In a device of the character described, the combination of a guard member adapted to support a cutting blade along one side thereof, the guard member having spaced openings therethrough, a U-magnet having its poles extending through the said openings, and collars fitting around the poles of the magnet, the collars being disposed at least in part within the openings between aeeaoee tively to each other, the last said means being disposed in the transverse central region of the said members.

10. In a device of the character described, the combination of a guard member, a cap member, magnetic means for holding the said members together, the magnetic means having poles disposed at the opposite ends of the said members, and means extending into alined openings in the said members for preventing movement of the members rela tively to each other, the last said means being displaced from said poles.

11. In a device of the character described, the combination of a supporting member adapted to support a cutting blade along one side thereof, and means for passing a magnetic flux through the cutting blade to hold it, against the supporting member, the supporting member being composed of magnetic material but having a magnetic gap therein so as not appreciably to shunt magnetic flux from the cutting blade.

12. In a device of the character described, the combination of a base memberand a cap member adapted to hold a cutting blade therebetween, and means disposed on the side ofthe base member opposite to the cap member for directing magnetic flux through the cap member to hold it against the base member, the base member being composed of magnetic material but having a magnetic gap therein so as not appreciably to shunt magnetic flux from the cap member.

Signed by me at Lowell, Massachusetts, this 2nd day of June, 1917.

BUTLER AMES. 

